2012 NFF NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS

Photo by: National Underclassmen Football Combine

2012 NFF NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS

Courtesy: TBD           Release: October 25, 2012

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DALLAS, October 24, 2012 - Recognizing one of the most impressive classes in the storied history of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Program, The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2012 recipients of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments^®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education. The honorees also comprise the list of finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. Selected from a nationwide pool of 147 exceptional semifinalists from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 15 class members are:

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE	POSITION	SCHOOL	GPA	MAJOR
Matt Barkley	QB	Southern California	3.21	Communications
Rex Burkhead	RB	Nebraska	3.43	History
Cody Davis	S	Texas Tech	3.70	Management Info. Systems
Nick Driskill	S	Mount Union (Ohio)	3.77	Exercise Science
Nick Florence	QB	Baylor	3.79	Economics
Nabal Jefferson	DT	Northern Illinois	3.78	Accounting
Barrett Jones	C	Alabama	4.00	Accounting
Aaron Mullane	OL	West Texas A&M	3.84	Biology & Chemistry
Ryan Nassib	QB	Syracuse	3.57	Finance & Manag. Accounting
Nolan Nearhoof	DE	Robert Morris	3.73	Biology
Ethan Peterson	OL	MIT	3.83	Nuclear Engineering & Physics
Sean Renfree	QB	Duke	3.40	Public Policy Studies
Manti Te'o	LB	Notre Dame	3.32	Graphic Design
Patrick Ward	OT	Northwestern	3.94	Mechanical Engineering
Shane Zackery	WR	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	3.71	Business Management

"This year's class contains some of the finest student-athletes to ever compete in college athletics in any sport," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "They have an average GPA of 3.67, which showcases their commitment to excellence in the classroom as well as on the field. Without exception, they embody what it takes to be great leaders. We are proud to hold them out as examples for future generations to emulate."

The NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. This year's class members finds themselves in good company, as past National Scholar-Athletes include former NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin(Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Tim Tebow(Florida).

"The 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class represents all that is right about college football," said NFF ChairmanArchie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They have displayed the same competitive fire to win in the classroom that has distinguished them as some of the best football players in the country. In addition, each has found time to give back with an impressive list of leadership roles in their respective communities. Ensuring that they continue their education with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship is a privilege, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."

Each member of the 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class will travel to New York City to be honored December 4 during the 55^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. They each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and one member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the 23rd recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation.

Named in honor of Bill Campbell (the chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal), the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $10.1 million.

In 2011, the NFF and Fidelity Investments launched a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. As part of the initiative, Fidelity became the first presenting sponsor ever in the 54-year history of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program. Fidelity also helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes Initiative, which recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. As part of the initiative, the NFF will present each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and a $5,000 check from Fidelity Investments to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school.

2012 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Highlights

• 3.67Average GPA
• 13-of-15Team Captains
• 13-of-15Academic All-Conference Athletes (with one player attending an independent school)
• 10-of-15All-Conference Athletes (with one player attending an independent school)
• 8Academic All-America Selections(Burkhead, Driskill, Jones, Nearhoof, Peterson, Te'o, Ward, Zackery)
• 7All-America Picks (Barkley, Burkhead, Davis, Driskill, Jones, Te'o, Zackery)
• 3National Award Winners (Barkley - CollegeFootballNews.com Offensive Player of the Year; Driskill -

   D3Football.com National Defensive Player of the Year; Jones - Outland Trophy)

• 6School Statistical Record Holders (Barkley, Burkhead, Florence, Nassib, Nearhoof, Renfree)
• 7Members of Nationally Ranked Teams (Barkley, Davis, Driskill, Jones, Mullane, Te'o, Zackery)
• 6National Championship Appearances (Driskill - 3; Jones - 2; Zackery - 1)
• 10Offensive Players(Barkley, Burkhead, Florence, Jones, Mullane, Nearhoof, Peterson, Renfree, Ward, Zackery)
• 5Defensive Players (Davis, Driskill, Jefferson, Nearhoof, Te'o)

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The 147 semifinalists for the award were announced on Sept. 27 (names listed on the following page), and the class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

In addition to the presentation of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards and the William V. Campbell Trophy, the 55^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner will include the induction of the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the presentation of several major awards, including the organization's highest honor, the NFF Gold Medal, and the NFF Distinguished American Award